While my Voyager performer sounds great, I’ve always thought it could have a bit more bottom end. I have also thought that a certain rawness seemed to be missing from its sound as well. After adding the MF-101 LP filter and the Behringer SE200 Spectrum Enhancer effects to the 'fooger chain, I’ve discovered what I was missing.
I have all of the 'foogers chained together in the mix out/filter in jack, and the LP filter is last in the chain. I discovered that the LP filter adds a subtle emphasis to the bottom end of the sound without adding any muddiness to it. I thought that maybe I could get the same effect by just increasing the bass level on the EQ of my RE20, or the mixer, but it’s just not the same. The LP’s effect definitely fills in the bottom end that I sensed was missing all along.
Along with that, I put the SE200 at the beginning of the 'fooger chain, and find that it has added a nice raw character to the sound of the oscillators, providing additional harmonics for the rest of the 'foogers to work with. The effect from the SE200 is also subtle but very satisfying. And it’s cheap to boot, under $30!
So, between these two effects, the Voyager now sounds much fuller, and more alive than ever!
I use a Manley Massive Passive to add THD distortion and to sculpt the sound: I did a 20 dB boost at 1 KHz and a 20 dB cut at 1200 KHz and you can definitely hear what it does to the signal. Boosting and cutting at the same time, at the same frequency, creates what is known as a Pultec curve, which (for bass frequencies) is outrageously fat - sometimes too fat!
Indeed! An exciter device like the SE200 Spectrum Enhancer or the BBE Sonic Maximizer definitely adds ‘brilliance’ to the Voyager oscillators, which gives the filters a bit more to work with. The exciter effect can be subtle, or it can be dramatic - it depends on the patch.
To hear some exciter ‘before and after’ Voyager clips, check out “Secret Weapon” on KnobTweak:
I run my Voyager through a Roland/Boss RE20 Space Echo. This give me echo and reverb all in one unit. I wanted to get the sound Keith Emerson had on the album Trilogy. He used tape echo units and an old MOOG spring reverb (not sure of the MOOG modular stock number). The RE20 does a real good job at reproducing that sound. I find it gives me a lot of power live.
NOTE: My Space Echo was recently stolen. I have a replacement due in the next couple of days. MUCH too important a unit to do without.
